Drinking-cup



P. A. FISCHER.

DRINKING CUP.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22,1920. 1,373,182.

Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- P. A. FISCHER.

DRINKING CUP. APPLICAHON FILED NOV. 22. 1920.

L a Am- 9H MN MW M2 n outrun rum]? A. E'ISUEER, on NEW YORK, 11'. r.

DRINKING-GUI.

Specification ofLctters Patent.

Patented Mar. 29., 1921.

Application filed November 22, 1920. Serial No. 425,613.

v declare the followlng to be a full, clear, and

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exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to drinkingcups which are ordinarily made of paper, of the type which may be folded fiat for shipment and which are caused to open by pressure of the fingers against the edges or" the cup.

A paper cup according to this invention is provided with a pouring funnel or mouthpiece at the top, the discharge opening of which is in the middle of the top of the cup. The discharge opening, moreover, 1s elongated in a horizontal direction, so that when a cup is in use, this opening may readily fit into the mouth of the user.

drinkin cup with a funnel at one corner, the disc arge opening of which is elongated vertically. It is evident that the use of a cup with such a vertical opening is very awkward as compared with one with a horizontally arranged mouthpiece.

The use of a funnel at the top of the cup provides a mouth piece which is convenient for the ordinary user and is particularly convenient for feeding children and invalids, where the cup needs to beheld by some one other than the person drinking.

The funnel is formed by a pair of cooperating flaps carried by one of the body portions, which are folded inwardly along diagonal lines converging toward the top of the cup. These diagonal lines are so located that the upper outer corners of the other body portion are folded inwardly with the flaps when the cup is fiat. These inwardly folded corners are under a sli ht strain due to the folding, and act as e astlc'hinges;

when the cups are unpacked these hinges tend to spring outwardly a small amount and therefore open the cup slightly. ThlS is particularly advantageous because once the cup is thus preliminarilly opened, the pressure of the fingers along t e on will readily open it completely.

11' order to still further facilitate the opening; of the cup either the funnel, which It has heretotore been proposed to provide a folding edges of the is carried by the back body portion of the cup, or the front body portion of the cup, may be provided with a finger tab which is pulled outwardly when it is desired to open the cup.

The funnel portion or mouthpiece of the cup is so made that when the cup is folded the lower edges of the funnel overlap the upper edges of the front body portion of the oup, so that none of the interior of the cup is exposed to dust and dirt or to contact with the fingers. In this instance also, either the funnel portion or the front body portion is provided with a finger tab for opening the cup.

In the'manufacture of the cup, one of the body ortions may be made narrower than the ot er, a construction which tends to cause the wider body portion to bulge outwardly a small. amount. This starts the opening of the cup, and the pressure of the fingersagainst the vertical ed es of the cup will cause it to open completel This construction coiiperates with the above mentioned folded-in corners to cause a preliminary opening of the cup, the opening being carried to completion by pressure against the edges of the cup; there is no necessity of inserting the fingers in the cup at all, which is necessary with some types of paper cups and which 1s obviously an unsanitary procedure.

For a clearer understandin of the invention, attention is called to the accompanying drawings illustrating two embodiments of the invention. It should be understood, however, that the essential features oiv the invention may be carried out in other ways than in the particular forms here shown.

In these drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a complete cup; Fig. 2 is a side view of the same; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4; of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 5 shows a blank from which the cup ismade;

Fig. 6 shows a partially completed cup, bev

fore the funnel forming flaps are folded in; Fig. 7- is a front view of a modified form; Figs. 8 and 9 are sectional views taken on the lines8-8 and 9-9, respectively, of Fig. 7 lookingin the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view of the open cup;

and Fig.11 is a view of a blank from which the modified form is made.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 6, the cup is formed of a back portion 5 provided with side flaps 6 and 7 and the bottom flap 8 integral therewith. The flaps 6. 7 and 8 are folded together as shown in Fig. 6 to form a front body portion indicated generally at 9, which with the back portion 5 forms the body of the cup. The side flaps are folded in along the lines 10, while the bottom flap is folded along the lines 11.

The upper part of the back portion 5 of the cup is provided with a pair of flaps indicated at 12 and 13. One of the flaps is provided with adhesive 14, while the other is provided with a finger tab 15. After the side and bottom flaps are folded as shown in Fig. 6, the two flaps 12 and 13 are folded inwardly along the diagonal lines 16 and 17 which converge toward the top of the cup. These diagonals 16 and 17 intersect the folded lines 10 at points a short distance below the 'top edges of the side flaps 6 and 7. lVhen, therefore, 'the flaps 12 and 13 are folded along said diagonals the upper corners 18 of the flaps 6 and 7 will be folded over on the front face 9 of the cup. These corners are under more or less strain due to being folded in, but are held folded when the cups are packed flat for shipment or are packed in the usual dispensing cabinet.

When removed from the cabinet, however,.

the folded corners act like spring hinges and tend to spring outwardly and return to their original position, a movement which pushes the edges of the flaps 12 and 13 outwardly, and so tends to open the cup a small amount. This is a useful feature of the invention because it is well known that if a paper cup is opened a little, pressure against the edges of the cup will readily open it completely.

When the flaps 12 and 13 are folded along the diagonals 16 and 17 and are pasted together, a finished cup, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is obtained. The cup is filled in much the usual way through the filling opening A, which is clearly shown just below the tab 15. The upper part of the back portion 5 of the cup co6perates with the two flaps in forming a funnel or mouthpiece 21, the pouring channel'of which is inclosed all the way up to the discharge opening. The upper part of the back portion of the cup terminates in a comparatively short horizontal edge 19 which cotiperates with the edges 20 of the flaps 12 and 13 to form a horizontally extending elongated discharge opening 22, the plane of which is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the. cup. This opening 22 is evidently of convenient form to drink from. The tab 15 is used to preliminarily open the cup, after which a pressure against the vertical edges of the cup opens it completely. It is apparent as the tab 15 is lifted, the front body portion 9 of the cup will be likewise 'lifteddue to the connection of these parts by the folded corners 18.

Referring to Fig. 4, a construction is shown in which one of the body portions, such as 5. is made slightlynarrower than the other body portion 9. This causes the body portion 9 to bulge a small amount, thus opening the cup slightly. As has been stated. when once the cup is slightly opened it may be completely opened by pressure against the sides of the cup. This feature cooperates with the folded corners to cause a preliminary opening of the cup without the necessity of inserting the fingers.

Referring now to Figs. 7 to 11, the cup there shown is similar in several particulars to the cup already described and the corresponding parts are similarly numbered. The pouring funnel or mouthpiece, indicated at 21, has its lower edges 24 which are the same as the edges 24 of the flaps 12 and 13, overlapping the upper edges 25 of the side flaps 6 and 7. This completes the covering of the interior of the cup and protects it from dust and dirt so that it comes to the user in a thoroughly sanitary condition. In this cup also either the lower edges of the fpouring funnel may be provided with a nger tab similar to the tab 15 shown in Fig. 1, or the front body portion may be provided with an oaening tab, as indicated at 26. Due to the act that the lower edges of the funnel overlap the upper edges of the front portion 9 and so overlap the tab, the tab is bent backwardly, as shown in Fig. 9. A lifting of such tab will evidently lift the front portion 9 of the cup, and will lift the front portion of the funnel due to the connecting corners l8. ihis type of cup may also be constructed with a bulging section, is shown in Fig. 4;.

The important features of, the invention may be briefly summarized as follows: The provision of a pouring funnel or mouthpiece. the discharge opening of which is horizontally arranged and is at the middle of the top portion of the cup; the provision of the folded-in corners 18 of the front portion which act as elastic hinges to preliminarily open the cup; the provision of finger tabs on either the funnel or the front body portion for opening the cup; the overlapping of the upper edges of the front body portion of the cup by the lower edges of the funnel so as to prevent access of dust and dirt to the interior of the cup; and the making of one of the body portions of the cup narrower than the other which tends to make the broader portion bulge outwardly. It should be understood that these features of the invention may be embodied in other types of cups than is here specifically illustrated, and that it is not necessary to use every feature of the invention in a particular cup.

I claim as my invention l. A folding drinking cup provided with a filling opening and with a pouring funnel, the discharge opening of the funnel being elongated horizontally, the plane of said discharge opening, when in pouring posit? tion being substantially perpendicular to the plane of the cup it, it folding drinking cup provided with a filling opening and with a pouring funnel, the discharge opening of the funnel being elongated horizontally, the pouring channel of the funnel being inclosed up to said discharge opening.

3.. A. folding drinking cup provided with a pouring funnel, the discharge opening of which is elongated horizontally, part of the edge of the funnel at the larger end. thereof being movable away from the cup for per rnitting filling of the cap.

t. it folding drinking cup provided with a filling opening, and a pouring funnel car" ried by the cup adjacent said filling opening the discharge opening of the pouring funnel being located centrally of the cup and elongated horizontally.

to it folding drinking cnp provided with a filling opening and a funnel or monthpiece adjacent said filling opening the funnel being tapered upwardly and terniinating in. an elongated pouring or discharge opening which is horizontally disposed and is elongated in the plane of the cup.

5, A foldable drinking cup provided with filling opening and with a top portion forming a pouring funnel adjacent said filling o i iening. the funnel being formed of an ertension of one side of the cup and a pair cooperating flaps carried thereby, the discharge opening of the funnel being in the middle of the top of the cup.

f. it foldable drinking cup provided with. a filling opening and comprising front and been body portionathe back portion including as a part thereof a pourin funnel located adjacent said filling opening, and a tab for facilitating the opening of the cup carried by one of the said body pornone.

8. it foldahle drinking cup provided with filling opening and comprising front and w bact; body portions, the boot: portion be ing provided with a pouring funnel adja cent said filling opening the discharge open ing of the fennel being in the middle of the top of the cup, and a tab for facilitat ing the opening of the cup, carried by the lower edge of the pouring funnel.

9. A. foldable drinking cup provided with a filling opening and comprising front and. baclr body portions, the baclr portion be ing provided with a pouring fininel adia cent said filling opening part of the lower edge of the funnel being movable away from and arranged to overlap the upper of the front body portion when the cap folded.

10.. A foldahle drinlring cnp provided with a filling opening and comprising front and baolr body portions, the back portion including as a part thereof a pouring fnnnel, adjacent filling opening, part of the lower edge of the fennel being movable away from and arranged to overlap the np-= per edge of the front body portion when. the cup is folded, and a tab for facilitating the opening of the cup carried by one of said body portions.

11.. A foldable drinlring cap provided with front and haclr body portions, the body portion being provided with cooperat ing flaps which are folded inwardly to form. a pouring fennel at the top of the cap, the line of fold being such as to cause an in ward folding of the upper outer corners of the front body portion.

12., A foldable drinlring cup provided with front and baclr body portions, the bent: body portion being provided with which are folded along diagonal lines can verging toward the top of the cup to forna a pouring funnel or mouthpiece, the said diagonal lines of fold crosoing the upper outer corners of the front body portion. the

folded-in corners of the front portion tend ing to spring outwardly to preliminarily open the cup and also serving to move the lower edge of the pouring fennel outwardly when the edges of the cup are pressed together,

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